Process of obtaining the solids from liquids.



0. E. MERRELL.

PROCESS OF OBTAINING THE SOLIDS FROM LIQUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16, I912.

Patented APR-20, 1915.

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CUSE, N YORK, SIGNOR TO RRELL-SOULE MOUSE, NE YOR A i aTION 0]? NEW YORK.

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Original application filed March 29, 1910, Serial No. 522,223. Divided and this application filed February- 16, 1912. Serial No. 678,142.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER E. Mnnnnnn, of

. Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and taining the solids from organic liquids, in

the form of a substantially dry powder, which may be returned again to its original liquid form by the addition of a suitable amount of water, without the loss of the distinguishing characteristics of the original liquid, and is a division of application filed March 29, 1910, No. 522,223.

This inventionis especially applicable to and intended for the drying of organic liquids having a hi h moisture-content, such as milk and eggs. f milk is treated, it may be in its original condition, or the cream may be first removed; and, either case, the milk (whole or skimmed) may be condensed or concentrated before subjecting it to the desiccating operation. Cream may also be dried to a powder by the new process.

The organic liquidis subjected to the intimate action of a whirling current of moisture-absorbing air, sutlicient in quantity to take up and carry 0d the moisture-content of the liquid, the spirally forward motion imparted to the air current causing the air to on line 22, Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a detail section/ Fig. dis a detail section of the discharge end of the liquid supply pipe.

1, is an ordinary pressure blower, fan, or other means for forcing air through a conduit 2, which is preferably flattened at 3, as it'approaches the tangentlal entrance 4, to a cylinder or air whirling chamber 5. One end of the air whirlingchamber 5, is contracted and opens at 6, and enters the desiccating chamber 7, said desiccating chamber having a suitable screened air outlet, as b having upon one side a screen 8, of fine bolting cloth,

or similar material, through which the air and vapor pass ofi' while the solids gravitate to the floor, where they may be removed in any convenient way.

The organic liquid to be desiccated is contamed in a receptacle 9, preferably raised slightly above the supply-pipe 10, so that the-liquid may flow through said supply-pipe by gravity, and may flow out in a stream or in drops. The supply-pipe is provided with an ordinary control valve 11. The discharge end of pipe 10, is beveled to a sharp edge as shown in Fig. 4. The supply-pipe 10 passes into the air whirling chamber- 6, at any convenient point and several pipes may be used, conditioned upon the quantity and the moisture absorbing properties of the air used, but the open 1 end of the supply-pipe 10, should coterminate substantially with the open end of the chamber 5,'and preferably '80 placed eccentrically thereto. The air is passed through the conduit 2, into the chamber 5, at a pressure of a few ounces to the square inch. In passing from the blower to the air whirling chamber the air passes around heating surfaces, such as coils of steam pipes, which are not shown. The air enters the air whirling chamber tangentially and takes a spiral or whirling path, as indi- 'cated and finally emerges through the coning to the bottom of the des'iccating chamsky a t a H 'L) 11..

her, and the air and vapor passing out through the fine screen 9, or other suitable screened collector. H

There isaZ-tenilencyto produce a back flow of air in the central portion of the open end .of the air whirling chamber. If the end of the supply-pipe terminated." in 1 this central por'-' t1on, the emerging liquid would 'be'drawn backward somewhat, and toward the periphery of the air whirling'clia'mberbefore being whirled into the desiccatin chamberby the spa-a1 du'r'rent ="of 'air,-"so"t at some of the liquidmight collect on the walls ofthe air whirling chamber. charge end of the supply-pipe 10, is eccentric to the 0 on end of the chamber 5,. and near the periphery of the outlet opening 6, so that the rapid currentof air more effectively engages with and breaks up the liquid, as itemerges from the end of the supply-pipe, thereby whirling it into the desiccating chamber and causing the disintegration and desiccation. It will be understood, however, that the process may beoperated by locating the supply-pipe, centrally to. the outlet 6, though the maximum disintegrating eifectis produced as aforesaid, .by locating the end'of the supply-pipe near-the periphery o-ff'sa-id outlet.

The size of the chamber-5, and -;the-.pressure and quantity of air passing through it, and the moisture-absorbin condition of such air,-are so regulated asto urnish a suifioient quantity of-air to thoroughly remove-the moisture from the liquid-passing through the supply-pipe. Air whichhas been heated or sub e'cted.to special treatment. to. render it moisture-absorbing may be used, but ordinary atmospheric airis-eflicient to carry out the process... v

- In-order. that the-process may befu'llyunderstood, the details of one practical in stallation will .be given. A pressureblower is employed having a blower discharge five and one-fourth, (5.25 )w inches in internal diameter, and the blower speed lSblihlBG thousand nine hundred (3,900 revolutions a minute. This requires about one and onehalf (1.5) horse power. Apressure-of seven (-7) ounces per square inchis produced, and air is delivered at the rate of; about six hum dredi and fifty cubic (650) feet perl'minute. The airis-passed over steam coils in which there is asteamipressureiof 'ninetyfto one hundred (90-to 100) pounds per square inch, and. the average temperature withinthe dos; icoating chamber is one hundred fiend sixty four-(164 degrees-Fahrenheit. The inter, nal diameter of the air'whirling chamber 5, issix :(6)l-inches, and theinternal length of thelcylindrical part is nine- (9-): inches The intake 4, toithe chamber 5, is; two; (2) inches across andof the length ofthe'cylindri cal part of said bhamber..- ;The.diameter of the outlet opening 6, is! ifi've (25 l i'lh0hB-ITJHR To avoid this, the dis-1' 'air='outlet' 6,*to the. opposite wall, and is six (6') feet wide; These details are subject to variation dependingu )OIl practical conditions; suchasthe initialdryness of the air,

the amount of moisture in the milk orother organic liquid, the quantity to-"be treated, andthe pressure in thesteam coils;

.-The quantity of air is large in proportion to the liquid treated, and its disintegrating capacity is due to its rotation under pressure and: at high velocity: vIn this connection the contraction of the outlet 6, 'iswim rtant sincei-t-retards the escape of the air into the desiccati-ng chamber,.and hence contributes to the desired whirling motion.

- The whirling motion of the air not only disintegrates-the liquid and subjectsitto a large volume of air, but also prolongs the contact between, the air and the liquid, delaying the effect of gravity so that complete drying takes. place. As .the result a relatively small drying chamber can be used. This. invention is not limited to-a process in whichothefinfiowing stream of liquid is constant for itmay be carried out in-a satisfactory manner byallow ing the liquid to emerge from the endof thesupply-pipe intermittently, as in-drops or jets.

' The invention consists in a new process, whereby organic liquids of high moisturecontent maybe disintegratedand desiccated solely by the agency of a spiral or whirling current of -air.

- 1. The process of desiccating liquids'consistin in disintegrating and desiocating the liqui solely by the action of a rotating current of moisture absorbing air;

2.'Theprocess of desiccating liquids consisting in disintegrating and desiccating the liquid solely. by the action of a rotating current of air which absorbs the moisture of the liquid, andcollecting the dry solidsaseparated from the moisture-laden air. 3. Theherein described process of desiccating liquids consistingnin disintegrating and-desiccating the liquid. solely by means of a K current of moisture-absorbing air having a spirally-forward motion.

4.- The process of'obtaining the solid constitutents of liquids and semi-liquids in-the fdrmcf a. substantially dry powder, consistingcinwcreatin'g a currentfiof air having a spirally forward motion,- introduci the liquid into the whirling current at an stantially the .vortex thereof and eocentrically of the axis =of movement of'saidcurrent whereby the :liquidas held in suspension and the liquid constituents vaporized.

meesee 5. The herein described process of desic- In Witness whereof I have hereunto set eating liquids consistin in introducing the my hand this 14th day of February 1912. liquid into a current 0 moisture-absorbing air having a spirally forward motion, in OLIVER'EDWARDMERRELL' 5 such a manner that the liquid is both broken Witnesses:

into spray and is desiccated solely by the EUGENE A, THOMPSON,

action of the whirling current. H. E. CHASE. 

